This invention relates to the lifting of railway cars onto and off of railroad tracks, such movement usually being accomplished by lifting the car with a crane or the like, and, in particular, to an improved tank car bolster assembly incorporating a lifting hook hole arrangement by which one or more lifting hooks can be attached to the bolster assembly to lift a tank car.
Railroad tank cars, as well as other types of railroad cars, occasionally have to be lifted off the railroad tracks on which they rest; or, placed on the tracks as in the event of a derailment. To this end, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) design specifications for railcars require that means be provided by which a car can be vertically lifted on and off railroad tracks by a crane having a suitable cable/hook arrangement. Further, the AAR specifications require the lifting arrangement be located at or near each end of the car. One such arrangement is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,417, and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 082,446, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,833 both of which are assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. The arrangement shown therein is for use on a covered hopper railway car in which a reinforced hook hole is incorporated in both of the outermost vertical members of a truss. This permits the vertical members to both be part of the truss assembly, and to also provide a lifting lug structure for receiving lifting hooks by which the car can be vertically lifted by a crane.
While the above mentioned co-assigned patent and patent application are directed to covered hopper cars, the AAR requirements also apply for railway tank cars. Heretofore, the lifting arrangement for tank cars has included openings incorporated in both sides of the car's bolster assemblies for receiving lifting hooks. These openings have been reinforced openings formed on each outer portion of the tank car bolster assemblies. Forming these reinforced openings has required a substantial amount of material and labor which has significantly added to the cost and weight of the car.